cis-2 and trans-2-eicosenoic Fatty Acids Inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence Factor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase B

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the potential inhibitory effect of eicosenoic fatty acids onprotein tyrosine phosphatase B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PtpB). PtpB is recognized to play a vitalrole in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) successful latent infection. It prevents the fusion even betweenphagocytosed mycobacteria with lysosomes so that the bacteria escape from degradation. We have overexpressed recombinant Mtb PtpB within Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and further, we have used the proteinfor inhibition assay with cis-2 and trans-eicosenoic fatty acids. It is revealed that at a concentration of 16µM, cis-2- and trans-2-eicosenoic fatty acids can inhibit PtpB by 63.72% and 74.67%, respectively.Docking analysis has confirmed strong interactions of PtpB with cis-2 and trans-2-eicosenoic fatty acids,with the binding energy of -60.40 and -61.60 kcal/mol, respectively. These findings underline both fattyacids’ high potential to be further investigated to discover drugs against latent tuberculosis infection.